How Do I Study Makeup Online?

When you’re a QC student, how exactly do you study? Nichole shared her online learning strategy last year—but without the structure of a classroom, online learning is different for everyone. Find out how Stephanie makes her way through her own courses—maybe you’ll pick up some tips!

How does Stephanie study makeup online?

It’s one of the most common questions she gets. Stephanie’s taking three online makeup courses: Master Makeup Artistry, Special FX, and Portfolio Development. So how does she do it?

To start off, the course guides help keep her on track. Special FX in particular is helpful, because the course guide includes supply and progress checklists. She uses the progress checklist to keep track of what parts of the unit she’s finished, and which ones she still has left to do.

She’s also a big fan of writing notes, so she’ll use her books to jot down ideas as she goes through the course. Then there’s a separate notebook she’s dedicated to taking notes on the texts and videos.

Staying organized

To keep all her work in order, Stephanie’s got a folder on her laptop dedicated to her online makeup training. Within that main folder she’s got subfolders for each different course. She’s also got two extra folders: one for inspiration and ideas for makeup looks she wants to create, and one for her own makeup pictures.

In each course folder she has even more subfolders for each unit. She puts all her pictures and written assignments in those folders to keep everything organized.

The online study process

When Stephanie’s working on her assignments, she doesn’t tend to work through one a night. Instead, she’ll sit down when she has time and get through all the written assignments for a unit. Later, when she can get a hold of all her models, she’ll go on to the do her practical assignments.

Since she’s also working a few jobs, it’s the best way for her to get her work done. Like her jobs, her online studying is also part-time. She fits her work in whenever she has time, whether that’s late at night, right after getting home from work, or in the morning.

Finding models

When it comes to her practical assignments, she’s got a few models on the go. Her mom, her boyfriend’s sister, and her boyfriend’s mom are all willing candidates—and she also has a few friends she wants to “book in” as models for future assignments!

For her latest practical assignment, she actually only did each look once before submitting. A little risky, maybe, but she just ended up liking her first attempt for each assignment. (And it definitely turned out well for her, since she landed an A+ on the unit!)

Living on the Isle of Wight in the U.K., Stephanie’s main options for in-person makeup training would be in London. That would mean either a pricey commute or even pricier living accommodations! Instead, studying makeup online lets her balance part-time jobs with coursework. The freedom she gets over her study schedule reduces the stress of taking a course—in fact, it’s almost relaxing!

What are your tips for studying makeup online? Share your top strategies in the comments!